Natural Shampoo Bars are amazing - for your hair, and the environment!

We've been testing out shampoo bars for a few years now - and we've had mixed results, which is why (until very recently) we haven't stocked them. It has taken years to find ones we're happy using ourselves, and have gained amazing feedback from our panel of product testers. The ones we stock now were actually recommended by several customers and beauty bloggers.Just because a shampoo is in a solid bar, doesn't necessarily mean the ingredients are any good for your hair. Some bars contain SLS, SLES, Cocamide DEA and other nasty synthetic surfactants that can leave the hair stripped of natural oils and irritate scalps. On the other hand, completely natural bars can take some getting used to, a baking soda rinse and Vinegar Rinse may seem like alien concepts to most, but read on, as they can really help your hair and scalp adjust. This guide should hopefully help speed up the transition process when using completely natural shampoo bars.

What's the difference between natural shampoo bars and liquid shampoo?

Completely natural shampoo bars don’t contain the silicone or synthetic foaming agents that traditional liquid shampoos contain.Silicone is used to make your hair feel smooth and silky, by coating the hair. Foaming agents (surfactants) make shampoos lather, and give a “squeaky clean” feeling. Both are synthetic ingredients that can strip hair of natural sebum (oil), dry scalps out, as well as cause irritation. It's a vicious cycle of cleaning hair with surfactants, then coating hair with silicones.When you stop using these ingredients, your hair may go through a bit of a “transition phase” as it is getting used to the change.

What is the transition phase?

For the first few weeks, your hair and scalp is getting used to the change in ingredients. During this period your hair may feel oily, you may produce extra sebum and get waxy residues.This is because, without surfactants, natural shampoo bars don’t remove the silicone build up left by synthetic shampoos. Also -if you’ve been using surfactants, your scalp may be over-producing its own natural oils to counteract the drying effect of these synthetic ingredients - it can take a bit of time to adjust, but it will be well worth it!

Before using natural shampoo bars for the first time - Baking Soda Rinse

You can reduce the time your hair & scalp takes to adjust to the milder ingredients with a Baking Soda Rinse. If you live in a hard water area, you may also benefit from doing this every so often (or if you have particularly oily or greasy hair).The recipes included in this guide have been formulated by our wonderful suppliers ZWP.​BAKING SODA RINSE:1 tbsp of Baking Soda/Bicarbonate of Soda1 litre of warm waterDissolve the baking soda into the litre of warm water in a large jar or bottle.Pour the solution on your wet hair, massage and rinse well. Use your shampoo bar straight after.

Using your natural shampoo bar

Shampoo bars are much more concentrated than liquid shampoo, therefore, rubbing the bar directly on your hair may result in using too much product, leaving a residue.

Lather the bar in your wet hands and apply the foam obtained to your hair, massage the hair as you would do with a liquid shampoo.

Roughly section your hair into four (front, back, sides) and apply to the sections separately. This will ensure an even application of the product.

You won’t need any conditioner after using as natural shampoo bars are high in moisturising ingredients.

HANDY TIP #2Build up the amount of shampoo you use over several weeks to allow your hair to adjust to the ingredients. Start by only using a small amount of the "foam" - try target your roots and just quickly rinse the suds over your ends.

Optional Aftercare

If you find your hair feels “heavy” or there’s a residue after shampooing. Try using an Acid Rinse to balance the pH and remove any excess oil (great for during the transition phase!).​ACID RINSE RECIPE:1 tbsp of Apple Cider Vinegar500ml of warm water

Mix the water and Apple Cider Vinegar in a spray bottle. After washing your hair, spray the solution on the roots and lengths.

Let it rest on your hair for 1-2 minutes and then rinse well.

Keep the bottle in your shower for the next washes and, don’t worry, the smell of vinegar will fade once your hair dries.

HANDY TIP #3If your hair is particularly waxy - try the ACV rinse before shampooing as well as after (this tip was recommended by one of our lovely customers who have been through this transition phase several times!).

Have you transitioned from synthetic shampoo to natural shampoo bars? Let us know how you sped up the transition process in the comments below.Or have you tried ZWP's shampoo bars - leave us some feedback in the comments.